The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-02-19

when he closed his eyes-but Of the silver
goblets which had graccd the Revere table.
They flashed before his vision in sort OF |
silver and gold nightmare. Grotesque,
mocking faces rose from their shining bowls
and fixed their gaze upon hi0, whichever |
way he mightturn. They waltzed In couples |
before his pathway. They poured cold and |
acrid water in slow, torturing streams !
over his face. They talked in strange, |
madly, unintellibble jargon, and sur
rounded him on every side
Then the scene changed, and he saw his
venerable grandmother lift one of the COB
let's to her lips, to drink what he knew to be
u deadly poison. And yet he was powerless
to stay her hand He could not speak; he
could only watch her with a horrible fascin-
alton as she slowly drained the fatal liquid,
dropby drop.
Finally, after repeated and agonized ef-
forts, he succeeded in giving utterance to
o stifed cry, and the sound of his own voice
awoke him, only to fall asleep and dream
the same thing over again. A cold pcrspira-
ton stood upon his forehead, and he was
shivering as if with cold in the warm sam
mer night.
But in the morning all effects of the
nightmare had vanished. and he laughed at
its absurdty. ''Lobster salad is more
powerful than an evil conscience in
conjurng up frightful Dreams" he
said to himself. And he went to walk
with Tessy Revere, and forgot every
thing in the charm Of her society.
But he did experience singular sensa-
tion, when, q day or two afterwards, he
called at the cottage, and Mrs. Revere
brought him wine in one Of those silver
goblets which had played such antics in his
dreams.
'Mrs. Revere" said he, ~ am convinced
that those goblets have n strange history"
And he laughingly related the story Of his
experience with them.
A queer expression fitted over her face.
Miss Revere looked startled, and fixed her
keen dark eyes upon his face with search
ing scrutiny.
Haven't they histoiy9" said Miss
Tessy, lightly. "They have been pressed
by the lips Of Revolutionists; they have
served ut solemn and sacred feasts, and then
at the gayest merrymalkings. They have
glittered with compounds to drown French
grief and to arouse American wit. They
have served at bridals and funerals, they
have glittered in the gloom of prison-like
salons, and sparkled in the sunshine of an
outdoor Bohemian holiday. Who will write
poem on the gobletsl"
Tom Stratton was falling in love with
Tessy Revere; but he was fastidious youth,
and sometimes her speech Jared upon his
ear, though it was more her tone than the
words which she spake which was unpleas-
ant in this case He had not yet reached
| the point where blindness sets in, and the
| disease becomes incurable, but he was fast
| approaching it,
| A week passed by, and blue, bright,
| beautiful Sunday dawned upon Bramleigh.
1t was communion Sunday, and an unusual
air of sacredness seemed to pervade the fine
old church. A great pyramid Of white lilies
shone upon the table in front Of the pulpit,
which was already spread for the feast Of
holy remembrance so dear to tn church in
| all nations.
Tessy, in o pale pink bonnet, sat within
the glow OF a stained window, looking more
beautiful than ever; and Tom Stratton gszed
at her, and forgot both Sc rvice and sermon
He was not communicate, but he remained
in the church after the congregation wax
dismissed, for the sake of escorting Mrs
Leeds, his maternal grandmother, to her
home She was sweet old lady, and hel
grandchildren Wed with each other in doing
her service. But it can not be denied that
| he would rather have gone home with Tessy
to-day, If his venerable relative had beer
otherwise provided for, and he fancied thai
| there ,yas n shade of disanno;ntment in he,
face. as she nnused n moment in the door
wav. giving one Quick. backward glance.
He leaned back in the pew when she wa.
gone, and gave himself up to dreamy sor
Tho choir and tho Iyords ~ tho ,nin;stor a.
the tablo, as he poured the wine. but wa
not really conscious of any thing until h,
was suddenly aroused by the sight of th
dear old lady at his side holding the silve
!. goblet which contained the sacred wine +,
her Inns. He shiyered. a mist came over hi
ewes he felt the blood leaving his Inns an,
checks more than the horror of his dream
overpowered him for moment She locke,
exactly as she had looked in the dream
holding the sacred goblet to her lips, and il
was one of the very goblets from which h
had drank so unsuspiciously at the Revere
table. It was of plain, massive STYLE, will
no distinctive marks about it. There nigh
be millions of other such goblets in tn
world, but still he was as sure that it wa
the same, as he was sure that he breathed
Poor Tom he would as soon have dram
from the HOLY Grail as to have drank 8
irrevereutly from these. He was blessed
not only with an orthodox bringing up, bu
reverent and sensitive nature. The shoe
dispelled his love dream forever. He felt
bitter Indignation against the whole famil
who had thus imposed upon the parish, bu
particularly against the girl who had dc
ceived him so with her false tongue an
, foolish artifices. He wondered why he ha
I been so blind as not to have seen throup
, |